Energize Denver Building Performance Policy

As of April 1, 2025, Denver's Office of Climate Action, Sustainability and Resiliency changes to the Energize Denver Building Performance Policy. Through improvements to the policy and program, we are making compliance more practical and achievable. Upgrading a building's performance and reducing its energy use to meet Energize Denver Targets takes time, planning, and funding. The city wants to support these efforts.

The Energize Denver Building Performance Policy plays a pivotal role in reaching the city’s goal of eliminating emissions by 2040. The ordinance was passed in 2021 and the rules and regulations were most recently updated in 2025. Energize Denver covers two building sizes:

Buildings 5,000 to 24,999 square feet
Buildings 25,000 square feet and larger

Complying with Energize Denver should be a practical, achievable process. Every building is different, and compliance cannot be one-size-fits-all. The city’s goal is to work alongside Denver’s building owners, property managers, and service providers. Energy efficiency should be practical, affordable, and aligned with each unique building. Through the reduction of energy use in Denver’s largest buildings, Energize Denver will deliver:

Long-term cost savings
A stronger, more resilient economy
Significant cuts in pollution

Buildings 25,000 sq. ft. or Larger

Buildings 25,000 sq. ft. or larger must submit annual benchmarking data and meet specific energy efficiency requirements. These energy efficiency upgrades are based on the type of building you manage. Learn what you need to do to comply.

Buildings 5,000-24,999 sq. ft.

Buildings between 5,000 and 24,999 sq. ft. are required to meet lighting or renewable energy requirements. Learn more about the requirements and find out how you can succeed in making updates to your building.

Energize Denver Policy Timeline

See how we got to the Energize Denver Ordinance that we have today. We spent countless hours gathering community feedback to design the ordinance, the rules, and the technical guidance. This timeline walks through those processes.

Find an Energize Denver Form

Looking for a form or application? Find them all right here: classification forms, exemption forms, alternate compliance applications, and more.

Energize Denver Help Desk

The Energize Denver Help Desk strives to provide prompt, efficient, and knowledgeable support to building owners and service providers. Their specialists are readily available to assist you with any questions or issues related to complying with the Energize Denver requirements.

Energize Denver Map, Lookup Tool, and Forecasting Calculator

The Energize Denver Map and the Building Lookup tool allows you to look for buildings and their information in either map or list form. The Forecasting Calculator lets you to see the impacts of different upgrades on your EUI.